Raising awareness for Irrawaddy dolphins

During a Dolphin Day event on Friday, the World Wide Fund for Nature said nine dolphins were born, noting that five others perished so far this year.

Held in Kratie’s provincial city, the Dolphin Day event included exhibitions, photo displays, games, as well as a performances by musical artists.The event was held to garner support for freshwater dolphin habitats in the Mekong river.

In a statement, WWF said up until this month, nine dolphins were born, while five others perished.

“For the first ten months of this year, five dolphins died, an increase of three when compared to last year’s data,” the statement said.

Un Hoy, Sambok commune police chief, said freshwater dolphins in Kratie province are vulnerable due to the use of illegal fishing nets.

“Local authorities are trying to monitor dolphin activity and save them when they get entangled in fishing nets,” Mr Hoy said. “We tell fishermen to report to us if they accidentally catch a dolphin.”

In June, a freshwater dolphin weighing nearly 100 kilograms was found dead after being entangled in an illegal fishing net in the province.

Kem Pheak, a 25-year-old who attended the event, said he was interested to know about the life of dolphins in Cambodia.